Homelessness Prevention

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A Thrift Store Reborn: Rekindling the Spirit of Service in Albuquerque
A Thrift Store Reborn: Rekindling the Spirit of Service in Albuquerque 644 429 SVDP USA

A Thrift Store Reborn: Rekindling the Spirit of Service in Albuquerque

Since its opening in 2012, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s (SVdP) thrift store in Albuquerque has made it its mission to serve the community. But operational challenges and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic recently put the store’s future in jeopardy. And now faith, perseverance, and community support have given the store a fresh start.

The Albuquerque thrift store is one of more than 380 SVdP thrift stores across the country, each one supporting vulnerable individuals by providing affordable essentials, shopping vouchers, and financial assistance for local SVdP Conferences and homelessness prevention programs.

The Albuquerque location faced its share of setbacks, struggling with outdated systems, staffing shortages, and security concerns. At the same time, the need in Albuquerque has grown. As of August 2024, homelessness in the city has more than doubled over the past two years. Unprecedented rent increases and shortages of affordable housing have left many residents seeking assistance from SVdP.

Fueled by dedicated volunteers, new leadership, and a renewed sense of purpose, SVdP’s network of charity transformed the store — ensuring it remains a community resource for those experiencing homelessness.

In July 2023, Linda Strasburg, who had recently been named interim Archdiocesan Council President for Albuquerque, contacted SVdP’s National Thrift Store Committee to assess the store. Store Support Director Jeffrey Beamguard, a veteran of the thrift industry with over 40 years of experience, visited in November to evaluate the situation. Some of his key recommendations included implementing a new POS system to boost sales, hiring additional staff, increasing security to prevent vandalism and dumpster diving, and improving the store’s overall appearance.

“It will not be easy to change what has been the norm for years. Now is the time to completely embrace this plan and give it 100% by everyone,” said Jeff in his assessment.

Local Vincentians accepted the challenge.

Linda, now serving as the Archdiocese Council Santa Fe Board President, got straight to work with local leaders. In February 2024, they hired Brittany Deloya as the new store manager.

“When Brittany joined the team, she had no prior management experience. SVdP supported her by covering coursework at a local college and training at the SVdP national store location in Phoenix, and she has embraced every learning opportunity since,” said Linda.

The team began applying Jeff’s recommendations, including updating the POS system and reorganizing the backend of the business. Raymond, whom Brittany referred to as ‘the handyman,’ installed freezer strips to help regulate the store’s temperature, painted signs, and put up walls to create a fitting room. He also removed the security bars from the windows so The Knights of Columbus could give them a fresh cleaning. A volunteer with experience working on airplanes offered to repair the trucks at a discounted rate, allowing the store to resume donation pickups. Clearinghouse Manager Luana Salazar’s husband painted the building.

“All the things that we’ve implemented make the store and the warehouse better. It has improved 120%,” said Luana. “It’s lively, it’s open, it’s clean.”

As improvements were made, customers took notice and shared their appreciation for the changes.

“I do consistently hear feedback about how the store looks, the appearance, and the way we’ve arranged it,” said Brittany. “They’ve told me they enjoy shopping here and that this has become one of their go-to thrift stores on weekends.”

When it came time for the grand reopening, Archbishop John C. Wester led the blessing ceremony for the thrift store, warehouse, and clearinghouse. In addition to SVdP leadership, staff and volunteers, representatives from The Catholic Foundation, the Knights of Columbus, and more were in attendance.

“In 2 Timothy, Paul tells us to rekindle the fire that is within us. When the fire dies down, we must stir the ashes and find the hot spots in order to rekindle the spirit. Throughout this last year we have rekindled the fire of our work by making many changes and improvements in our facility including security fencing, exterior painting and a state-of-the-art point of sales system. We have rekindled our vision,” said Linda in her grand reopening remarks.

As the team looks ahead, plans are in development to build a food pantry on the property, which could create a one-stop-shop where those in need could get food, clothes, and furniture.

“I don’t think we’re done growing. If you were to talk with us in six months to a year, I believe we’d have similar stories to tell,” said Linda.

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A Midyear Meeting to Remember in St. Louis
A Midyear Meeting to Remember in St. Louis 2560 1707 SVDP USA

Vincentians from all across the United States gathered together March 5-8 in downtown St. Louis at the Midyear Business Meeting of SVdP USA. While in attendance, leaders learned about governance, leadership, advocacy, and finance, while renewing and deepening shared spirituality and friendships with one another. More than 200 leaders were in attendance, representing all nine regions and hundreds of SVdP Conferences.

National President John Berry welcomed members with his Presidential Address on Thursday with this speech. He began his address in this way: “Every night, more than a half a million people in America experience homelessness. Imagine walking past them knowing they are someone’s mother, father, or child. As Vincentians, we cannot simply walk by — we are called to act. As Vincentians, and as Christians, we understand our profound responsibility to act boldly in service to others.”

Other highlights included Director David Garcia’s update on the SoCal wildfire relief efforts, Archbishop Andrew Bellisario CM’s spiritual retreat, a Good Governance workshop with John Hallissy, and a Finance Presentation by Ed McCarthy.

To make our meeting times together more effective, SVdP USA is moving away from the Midyear Meeting starting in 2026. Instead, SVdP will focus on regional meetings and meetings of other affinity groups, including Executive Directors, Stores, Spiritual Advisors, Conference Presidents, and more.

See below for highlights of last week’s Midyear Meeting, and view video presentations here.

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Devastating Wildfires Heighten Importance of Homelessness Prevention in California
Devastating Wildfires Heighten Importance of Homelessness Prevention in California 2048 1536 SVDP USA
by David Garcia, Executive Director, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles

The recent wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles and its neighboring communities bring the threat of homelessness ever closer to countless doorsteps.

I’m not just talking about the tens of thousands of people that have been displaced due to the fires, many of whom face the awful challenge of finding a place to live and rebuilding their lives after their home was destroyed. All sorts of establishments have also been destroyed — offices and shops, restaurants and schools, parks and recreation centers. According to Morgan Stanley, an estimated 20,000-40,000 jobs have been lost from the fires — another devastating and long-term impact. For many Californians, this job loss and profound disruption pushes them closer to the brink of homelessness. Effective, preventative intervention needs to happen now — before it’s too late.

Make no mistake: Even before the fires, California residents have been struggling. The average median rent in California is already $2,763 — 38% higher than the national average, according to Zillow — and that was before the housing supply in Los Angeles took a catastrophic hit. Many Californians need to find a new job, a new home, or both – when they were already struggling to keep up with rent and feed their families. That situation puts far too many California families far too close to the edge of homelessness.

Responding to this situation effectively means responding to it proactively. While many homelessness services organizations focus on what happens after someone becomes homeless, homelessness prevention is at once far more effective and humane. It involves identifying and supporting people who are on the verge of losing their homes – assessing their underlying threats to homelessness and taking preventative measures that will keep them housed.

This is our approach at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We administer Home Visits to those seeking assistance to meet them where they are and learn the best ways, tailored to their specific situation, to help keep them in stable housing and off the streets.

Since the fires broke out, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conferences in the neighborhoods that were affected by the fires have been tirelessly active in addressing the critical needs of their communities. Conferences and the Los Angeles Council have hosted fire relief distributions. Items given out include shoes, clothing, food, water, towels, pet supplies, and baby essentials. In addition, gift cards were distributed, and immediate financial assistance was offered. We continue to work with the fire victims once they move into new housing by providing move-in assistance and home furnishings through St. Vincent de Paul’s National Disaster Services Corp’s House in a Box program.

New research indicates how well these preventive measures work. According to a recent study conducted by Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), persons who received an average of $2,000 in emergency financial assistance were 81% less likely to become homeless within six months of enrollment and 73% less likely within 12 months.

The state of California has spent $24 billion on homelessness in the past five years. Granting that much of that money is well spent, consider how acute the crisis remains. How much farther could that spending go if we invested some of it in preventing homelessness rather than ameliorating its worst effects? As we look to help those who lost their livelihoods in the fires, it’s time to find out just how effective prevention can be. I am confident it will alleviate a much higher long-term housing crisis in the future.

Homelessness isn’t going away in California. The aftermath of the wildfires in Los Angeles is a stark reminder of that. There is a pressing need to step in and intervene now, before the demand for affordable housing becomes too great and more families are forced out of their homes. By turning our attention to prevention, we can work together to stop the future scourge of homelessness in Los Angeles.

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Loving Our Homeless Men: We Have Succeeded and Failed
Loving Our Homeless Men: We Have Succeeded and Failed 2560 1707 SVDP USA
by Michael Vanderburgh, Executive Director, Dayton District Council

Dayton, Ohio is nationally known for a lot of things: invention, innovation, military heft, a massive water supply — and the largest homeless shelters anyone has ever seen.

For the past 40 years, we have succeeded in providing shelter, food, and clothing. But we have also failed. We have failed to solve homelessness.

Sure, I can tell you success stories of individuals who have triumphed over adversity out of homelessness. Some of them work with me at SVdP Dayton. But the City of Dayton and Montgomery County are beset with stories of suffering met by a ballooning human services industrial complex, growing since the Great Society, launched in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson. No program, and no amount of money spent, addresses the root cause of chronic homelessness: ruptured relationships in a culture that does not encourage us to love one another.

In 1984 there was an evident need in Dayton for emergency shelter. SVdP sometimes allowed men to stay the night in our downtown thrift store during extreme weather. Led by Tony Staub and Jim Butler, we came up with the idea of a “hotel” for homeless men. The City of Dayton formed a committee, and in 1985 a former fire station at 212 W. Fifth Street was designated. Many Dayton residents were against the project, but as then-City Commissioner Pat Roach said, “If we don’t have [St. Vincent de Paul] doing this, we’ll end up having to do it ourselves.”

On December 15, 1985, SVdP Dayton began its focused ministry of emergency shelter for men, which was later expanded to include women and children.

That first year, we sheltered an average of 60 people per night at a cost of $300,000 for the year. Only 1% of that $300,000 came from the government — 99% was from private funding. Within a few years, shelter was already operating at or near capacity.

In July 2005, SVdP Dayton closed the Fifth Street shelter and opened the Midtown Apple Street shelter out of a former furniture warehouse location. In December 2009, pressure from Midtown neighbors led SVdP Dayton to open the Gettysburg Shelter for Men in the long-shuttered City of Dayton prison (euphemistically known as The Workhouse). It sits on Prison Road, surrounded by prisons, near Dayton’s Waste Management Landfill and wastewater treatment plant — not a place any person can reasonably expect to heal, recover, or feel valued as a human being.

Recently, SVdP Dayton announced that we will cease operating the Gettysburg Shelter on June 30, 2025, a decision driven by the reality that we can no longer afford it. But the hard truth is that our homeless men deserve a better environment of care.

In 40 years, our sheltered homeless population has increased nearly 1,000%, and our costs to serve them have increased over 2,200%, even though the overall population of Montgomery County has decreased over that time.

The good news is that for the past 15 years we have always had “room at the inn” for our homeless brothers and sisters; we have managed to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter everyone from frigid wind and searing heat. The bad news is that all these years we have been alleviating symptoms of an ever-growing problem without addressing its primary causes: separation, division, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, selfishness.

Yes, the choices that you and I make in pursuit of our own pleasure and individual desires are the same choices others struggle to manage to the point of homelessness.

What can you and I do? We need to love one another at some basic level. A level that shows dignity for each other, respect for humanity as a social enterprise, and honor for the social fabric that makes us human — not objects of each other’s desires. Listen to a chronically homeless person, and you will hear a story of unwillingness or inability to love relatives and friends through suffering, theirs and ours.

Show up. Love your family members. Accompany them through their sufferings, and yours. Reconcile. Kindly acknowledge a stranger. And join with nearly 90,000 Americans in more than 4,000 communities who are part of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to love your homeless neighbors. Love one another.

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02-06-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
02-06-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

Very unsettling news that became public this week has sent a shockwave through the Catholic charitable community. As it impacts one the largest and most important Catholic international aid organizations, it demands reflection and a realization of how policy that might appear to address one issue can have devastating impact on innocents.

Catholic Relief Services, CRS, is bracing for massive cuts — as much as 50% this year — because of draconian reductions in U.S. foreign assistance ordered by the new administration.

CRS is the top recipient of funds for foreign aid to support people in need around the world, aid which the administration has targeted with a spending freeze. Layoffs have already begun, as CRS has been forced to begin shutting down programs, as close to half of the organization’s $1.5 billion budget has been slashed. The cuts would amount to one of the biggest blows ever to CRS, founded in 1943 by Catholic bishops in the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. CRS reaches more than 200 million people in 121 countries on five continents.

This is a tragic outcome for people around the world who rely on CRS and others who believe in the call of Christ to ‘love your neighbor’ for survival. It is important that we pray for our sisters and brothers at CRS who are doing God’s work as they go through this turmoil, that we pray for the innocents who will suffer because of these actions, and for an understanding by policymakers of the universal impact of their actions and a consideration of all impacted by those actions before they are taken.

This is not about politics. Politicians get elected and they have a right to enact the policies that they ran on and were elected on. No, this is about morality and doing what is right. This is about not cutting off your head because you have a cold. This is about not blowing up your house because your sink leaks. This is about thinking about the impact of your actions before you take them.

There is no excuse for making the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and the sick suffer while you ‘study’ the massive expenditures of the federal government. If there is waste, identify where, and cut it. You’ll be applauded. Don’t shut down vital lifesaving aid to millions while you look — people die that way. Look first, act second.

This is about the fact that we, as Christians, believe that caring for the poor, the homeless, the sick, and the elderly is not just a moral duty. It’s a divine mandate from God and Jesus. This obligation is deeply rooted in the teachings of the Bible and the example set by Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.

The Bible is replete with verses that emphasize the importance of helping those in need. In the Old Testament, God commands His people to care for the less fortunate. For instance, in Deuteronomy 15:11, it is written, “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.'” This verse highlights the perpetual presence of poverty and the continuous need for generosity and compassion.

The teachings of Jesus in the New Testament further reinforce this obligation. Jesus’ ministry was marked by His compassion for the marginalized and the suffering. In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus speaks about the final judgment and identifies Himself with the needy. We know that this passage underscores the idea that serving the needy is equivalent to serving Christ Himself.

Moreover, the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) illustrates the call to love and care for others, regardless of their background or circumstances. The Samaritan’s actions demonstrate that true neighborly love transcends social and ethnic boundaries and is characterized by mercy and compassion.

The early Christian community also exemplified this mandate. In Acts 2:44-45, it is recorded that “all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” This communal sharing and support for the needy were foundational to the early Church’s identity and mission.

So too do Governments have a fundamental obligation to support those in need during policy making. This responsibility is rooted in the principles of life, liberty, justice, and the common good. Effective governance requires that policies are designed to uplift the most vulnerable members of society, ensuring that everyone has access to basic necessities and opportunities for a better life.

Historically, U.S. governmental entities (both Republican and Democratic) have reached out to Catholic organizations in order to deliver social services more effectively and efficiently. America has a profound moral obligation to support those in need, both domestically and globally. This responsibility stems from the nation’s values of justice, compassion, and leadership. As a global leader, the United States has the capacity and resources to make a significant impact on alleviating suffering worldwide.

Moreover, America’s history of humanitarian aid reflects its commitment to global welfare. The Marshall Plan, for instance, helped rebuild Europe after World War II, demonstrating the nation’s dedication to fostering stability and prosperity beyond its borders. By supporting those in need globally, America not only fulfills its moral obligations but also promotes peace, stability, and goodwill. This approach fosters international cooperation and strengthens global partnerships, ultimately contributing to a more just and peaceful world.

In summary, Christians are called to care for the poor, the homeless, the sick, and the elderly as a reflection of God’s love and compassion. This mandate is not merely a suggestion, but a fundamental aspect of Christian discipleship, rooted in the teachings of the Bible and the example of Jesus Christ. By serving those in need, Christians fulfill their divine obligation and embody the love of Christ in the world.

Peace and God’s blessings,
John

John Berry
SVdP National President

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Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA President John Berry Statement on Federal Funding Freeze
Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA President John Berry Statement on Federal Funding Freeze 1920 1920 SVDP USA
By John Berry, National President, SVdP USA

While a federal judge has temporarily blocked a White House move to freeze federal grants and loans, the Society of St. Vincent DePaul USA (SVdP) remains deeply concerned about the impact this action could have on the most vulnerable of our population.

SVdP acknowledges and respects the right of the President and his Administration to implement policies that he campaigned on, but at the same time, millions of low-income Americans depend on federal assistance for rent, food and other assistance to stave off poverty and homelessness. Even a temporary disruption to this funding will likely result in hardworking people being forced out of their homes at a time when homelessness across the country is already on the rise.

As one of the nation’s largest organizations dedicated to preventing homelessness, SVdP urges the White House to take a more discerning and equitable approach to ensure that vulnerable families remain housed. We also call on the Administration to recognize that high rates of poverty and homelessness are unacceptable and represent a crisis of conscience for our nation.

We can debate policies, but first we must open our eyes and hearts to the suffering around us and then change the systems that perpetuate poverty by advocating for affordable housing, living wages and access to quality education and healthcare. Therefore, we ask the Administration to immediately lift the freeze on funding and begin good faith discussions to determine how their goals can be achieved without creating greater suffering among the innocent, whose lives rely on the support of these government programs.

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Home Visit Highlight: SVdP Delivers Hope for the Holidays to Long Island Family
Home Visit Highlight: SVdP Delivers Hope for the Holidays to Long Island Family 1198 1198 SVDP USA

Home Visit Highlight: SVdP Delivers Hope for the Holidays to Long Island Family 

No family deserves to spend the holidays sharing one mattress on the floor of their apartment.

Josephine Melton-McGovern and Marianne Simpson, two volunteers for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, couldn’t believe what they saw last November when they first stepped inside the apartment of a family of four in Long Island. The room was barren—no furniture in sight, just a single mattress where the mother, father, and their two young children, a two-year-old and a four-month-old, all slept together.

“I saw it as a safety issue, especially for the four-month-old,” said Josephine. “I explained it to the mother, and she was all ears. She understood what I was saying.”

That same day, Josephine and Marianne helped deliver a donated portable crib for the baby. The next day, they stocked the family’s shelves with food and drawers with clothing. Within three days, the family’s apartment was fully furnished with a new mattress, box spring, and frame, along with blankets, sheets, pillows, two dressers, a sofa, end tables, a coffee table, and a kitchen table with chairs.

Two days later, the family also enjoyed a real Thanksgiving dinner, thanks to a turkey and fixings provided by SVdP.

“All [the mother] kept saying was ‘Thank you! Thank you!’ They were so grateful. We were so glad they had a nice Thanksgiving – I was so worried about that.”

As part of their Vincentian charism, Josephine and Marianne serve families like this every day. They know that a lack of bare necessities is the grim reality for many who have lost their homes or are on the brink of homelessness. This family had recently moved out of a shelter and into an apartment—a success story in the minds of many organizations. But they had also lost all their belongings due to a roach infestation.

Marianne and Josephine visited the family as part of a Home Visit Encounter, a core tenet of SVdP’s work. In the Home Visit, Vincentians go in pairs to visit those they serve. In doing so, they are able to assess the family’s situation in a way that many other charitable organizations are not. Because of that Home Visit, Marianne and Josephine were able to discern that the family needed more than just a new mattress.

Michael Bedell, president of the St. Frances Cabrini Conference for SVdP, learned of the Long Island family’s needs from a questionnaire they filled out on the organization’s website. He then gave them a call to get more information and schedule a Home Visit. The family is one of 65 that he and his Conference have administered Home Visits for in the last year.

“We’re calling each family and are basically saying to them, ‘Is there anything we can do for you during the holidays?’” said Michael. “It might be a ham, it could be a toy, it could be anything … but we try to put those touches on people so they can have a good holiday. We also recognize that Christmas can’t end in December. It’s got to go all year round.”

And it does. Every day, SVdP Councils and Conferences all over the globe are helping individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness – through services such as rent and utility assistance, shelters, food pantries, thrift stores, pharmacies and medical clinics, and much more.

For Marianne, the Home Visits particularly hit home.

“I feel so fortunate to help because I’ve been in that situation – I raised five children on my own,” Marianne said. “I know what it’s like to have to reach out, go to the church, go to social services – all of those things. The more people that I can help to not have to go through that, the more it makes me feel good.”

SVdP USA flips the traditional model of a nonprofit in the homelessness services sector. Instead of vulnerable individuals having to go out and seek things like food, clothing, and support, SVdP’s Vincentian volunteers come to them via the Home Visit, providing tangible assistance, a listening ear, and friendship.

Bedell says it’s the instinct of a Vincentian to go out and serve.

“We all do it from our hearts with no expectations,” he said. “But when we give, we also receive back. We all close our eyes at night knowing that we changed a life. There is no better feeling in the world and it is a feeling more people should seek.”

 

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The Pillar feature: For SVDP, preventing homelessness begins with home visits
The Pillar feature: For SVDP, preventing homelessness begins with home visits 623 594 SVDP USA

The Pillar feature: For SVDP, preventing homelessness begins with home visits

Published in The Pillar Catholic media project on December 30, 2024 by Laura Loker

The statistics surrounding homelessness in America are sobering.

The number of Americans experiencing homelessness increased 12% from 2022 to 2023. Some research even estimates that as many as 3 in 4 Americans will experience poverty or near poverty in their lifetimes.

Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of Americans are “very concerned” about housing costs, and nearly three-quarters are likewise concerned about the prices of food and consumer goods.

To Michael Acaldo, the new CEO of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, such statistics are calls to action.

Acaldo, who began the position in October, comes to the society’s national council from its Baton Rouge, Louisiana council. There he spent nearly 35 years building up large-scale efforts like its five emergency shelters, charitable pharmacy (which gives away prescription medications at no cost) and dining room (which serves free hot meals).

Now, he hopes to raise awareness of the society’s work.

“Although we want to embrace that humility that Christ calls us to, we also have to evangelize about what we’re doing so people can become a part of our mission,” Acaldo told The Pillar. “Because the needs today are much greater than they were just five years ago.”

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul originated in France in the early nineteenth century. Moved to help the poor he saw in Paris, 20-year-old university student Frédéric Ozanam founded the “Conference of Charity” with a few friends in 1833.

Soon after, the group adopted St. Vincent de Paul, servant of the poor and marginalized, as their patron and namesake. In 1845 the society made its way to the United States — beginning in St. Louis, Missouri, where the national council remains today.

The country’s 90,000 members — who call themselves “Vincentians” — belong to over 4,000 local parish conferences. Each individual conference works together to respond to the needs of its local community, which can range from food to furniture to emergency funds.

Catholics not directly involved with the organization often perceive it solely as its most visible outreach, Bob Glavin, president of St. Mary of the Assumption conference in Springboro, Ohio, told The Pillar. In the broader Dayton area, where he lives, most people know the organization for their two large emergency shelters.

But while homeless shelters are important — indeed, the society operates many across the country — their priority is homelessness prevention, Acaldo explained.

“Homeless prevention is something that the society has done from its very beginning,” he said.

And their central method, largely unseen by other Catholics in the pews, is the home visit.

Specific responses to specific needs

Today, it works like this: Local conferences operate a hotline that neighbors in need may call. After a neighbor leaves their information on their voicemail, a Vincentian follows up for more details. In many cases, the local conference arranges a visit to the caller’s home to learn more about their situation and how they might help.

Two members — often a man and a woman, said Glavin — begin with a prayer prior to knocking on the door. Then they spend a few minutes with the neighbor, listening and asking questions about what they need and why the crisis arose.

“We’re here to help people get over a temporary situation,” said Glavin, who conducts home visits in his community. Unexpected car repairs or a prolonged illness that precludes working, for example, can leave a neighbor short on rent one month.

Such aid can make or break whether someone falls deeper into the poverty cycle, Acaldo explained.

“When you go out and you make one of these home visits, and you’re helping somebody with groceries, or maybe a portion of a rent payment or an electric bill or a water bill, you really are keeping them housed,” he said.

Indeed, a study from the University of Notre Dame’s Lab of Economic Opportunity found that families offered emergency financial assistance were 81% less likely to become homeless over a six-month period and 73% less likely over a twelve-month period. Such figures also suggest that targeting at-risk populations with emergency assistance can be more cost-effective than waiting until they are experiencing homelessness to intervene.

Conferences are careful, however, to use their resources — which come largely from individual donations — effectively.

“We’re not paying their entire rent bill,” said Glavin. “Normally, we’re paying a portion, and we want to know — is that going to avert the impending eviction? Is that going to put this neighbor on solid ground for a period of time where they can recover, or not?”

Vincentians also have these conversations with landlords and utility companies, whom they pay directly — and only after the tenant has contributed the remaining funds. If the problem is more systemic than spontaneous, wherein one-time assistance will not make a meaningful difference in the individual’s situation, Vincentians direct them to other local social services that may be able to help.

Occasionally, other needs become apparent during home visits. One neighbor, Sam, reached out for help with his utility bill, Glavin said. As they talked, Sam also mentioned that he could no longer push his vacuum cleaner around his small apartment due to a medical condition. He had contacted the county’s elderly services for help, but he was still on a waiting list.

So Glavin and his home visit partner vacuumed the apartment. And they came back several more times to vacuum until Sam told them a family member had stepped in to help.

“No act of charity is foreign to the society,” Glavin explained, quoting the organization’s motto. “So whatever people need, our calling and our ministry is to help if we can.”

Before they leave a home, the pair of Vincentians pray with their neighbor. Sometimes, Glavin said, they tell the individual or family that they’re welcome at their local parish.

Always, they try to be empathetic and supportive. Glavin recalled one visit when a mother was relieved just to be able to talk to someone about her son’s serious medical condition.

“The financial support helps,” he said. “But it’s not always the most important thing.”

‘Paying rent for Christ’

Many people, said Acaldo, believe the society is primarily a social services organization.

“We’re not,” he clarified. “We’re a spiritual organization. We are called to come together to grow spiritually in the great blessing of serving our neighbors in need.”

The spiritual emphasis, he said, is “truly very powerful.”

“When we go out to visit somebody, we knock on Christ’s door,” Acaldo continued. “We’re bringing groceries for Christ. We’re paying rent for Christ, and we’re encountering Christ and seeing Christ in those we are blessed to serve.”

Glavin affirmed that his own faith has grown since he joined the society five years ago, both from his involvement in their service and the example and support of other members.

“We’re acting as Christ would, right?” said Glavin. “I mean, he’s visiting people, he’s talking to people. He’s making friends with people who are not people we normally might encounter.”

Now that he is in a position of national leadership, Acaldo cannot participate in as much direct service. It is an aspect of the transition, he said, that a colleague warned him he might find challenging.

So he and his colleagues at the national council are planning to start quarterly “mission days,” in which they’ll partner with local Vincentians to do on-the-ground service to “stay in touch with who we are and what we’re about.”

“I think it’s always important, if you’re in an administrative-type role, that you keep that focus,” he said.

According to the society’s annual report, American Vincentians visited 1.8 million neighbors and offered $1.7 billion worth of services in the 2023 fiscal year. Their impact, Acaldo said, is “huge.”

“But we want to multiply that,” said Acaldo. “We want to multiply that and be able to bring God’s love to those who truly need that helping hand up.”

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